The present invention relates to a method of controlling a medical master/slave system that is used while inserted through the body cavity to apply treatments to various in-vivo tissues.
So far there has been a master/slave system known as a surgery support system comprising a master manipulator operated by an operator and a slave manipulator for performing treatments on the basis of actuation of the master manipulator.
There is endoscopic mucosal resection now available wherein such a surgical robot is used to insert the slave manipulator through the body cavity to cut off affected sites on mucosal tissues by means of a treatment tool. Such surgical operation is expected to have a wider range of applications because there is no need for abdominal operation, resulting in limited burdens on patients and some consideration curtailments in the number of days taken until postoperative recuperation and leaving hospital.
Typically for an endoscopic operation system for performing such operation, Japanese Patent No. 4608601 discloses a medical system characterized by comprising an insert slave apparatus that is inserted through the body and includes a bendable first bending portion and a bendable second bending portion located on a proximal end side of said first bending portion, a treatment slave apparatus that is inserted together with said insert slave apparatus and used in combination with said insert slave apparatus to apply treatments to sites under operation, an insert master portion that includes a movable portion, a rotatable first joint portion mounted on a distal end side of said movable portion and a rotatable second joint portion mounted on a proximal end side of said first joint portion and that is similar in shape to said insert slave apparatus with said first and second bending portions bent following rotating operation entered in said first and second joint portions, a treatment master portion which is operated by an operator and following which said treatment slave apparatus is actuated in response to an operation input to said treatment master portion, a coupling for coupling together said movable portion and said treatment master portion wherein said treatment master portion is held for operation so that said movable portion moves through said coupling and said first and second joint portions are rotationally operated.